Fomitopsis palustris
Encyclopedia
Fomitopsis palustris is a species of fungus
in the family
Fomitopsidaceae
. It causes brown rot, a disease of wood that results from the enzymatic breakdown of the wood component cellulose
, but not lignin
. Several enzymes involved in the wood decay process have been biochemically characterized.
enzymes.
An endoglucanase
, named EG-II, has been purified and characterized from this species in 2008; it is believed to assist in the wood rot process by loosening the polysaccharide
network in cell wall
s by disentangling hemicellulose
s associated with cellulose
.
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Fomitopsidaceae
Fomitopsidaceae
The Fomitopsidaceae are a family of fungi in the order Polyporales. Most species are parasitic on woody plants, and tend to cause brown rots.-Genera:Amylocystis —Antrodia —Auriporia —Buglossoporus —Climacocystis —Dacryobolus —...
. It causes brown rot, a disease of wood that results from the enzymatic breakdown of the wood component cellulose
Cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β linked D-glucose units....
, but not lignin
Lignin
Lignin or lignen is a complex chemical compound most commonly derived from wood, and an integral part of the secondary cell walls of plants and some algae. The term was introduced in 1819 by de Candolle and is derived from the Latin word lignum, meaning wood...
. Several enzymes involved in the wood decay process have been biochemically characterized.
Wood decay enzymes
F. palustris is known to possess three different cellulaseCellulase
400px|thumb|right|alt = Colored dice with checkered background|Ribbon representation of the Streptomyces lividans beta-1,4-endoglucanase catalytic domain - an example from the family 12 glycoside hydrolases...
enzymes.
An endoglucanase
Cellulase
400px|thumb|right|alt = Colored dice with checkered background|Ribbon representation of the Streptomyces lividans beta-1,4-endoglucanase catalytic domain - an example from the family 12 glycoside hydrolases...
, named EG-II, has been purified and characterized from this species in 2008; it is believed to assist in the wood rot process by loosening the polysaccharide
Polysaccharide
Polysaccharides are long carbohydrate molecules, of repeated monomer units joined together by glycosidic bonds. They range in structure from linear to highly branched. Polysaccharides are often quite heterogeneous, containing slight modifications of the repeating unit. Depending on the structure,...
network in cell wall
Cell wall
The cell wall is the tough, usually flexible but sometimes fairly rigid layer that surrounds some types of cells. It is located outside the cell membrane and provides these cells with structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mechanism. A major function of the cell wall is to...
s by disentangling hemicellulose
Hemicellulose
A hemicellulose is any of several heteropolymers , such as arabinoxylans, present along with cellulose in almost all plant cell walls. While cellulose is crystalline, strong, and resistant to hydrolysis, hemicellulose has a random, amorphous structure with little strength...
s associated with cellulose
Cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β linked D-glucose units....
.